Key ring assembly for key chains



Jan. 22, 1935. F. w. DITTMAN KEY RING ASSEMBLY FOR KEY CHAINS Filed May9, 1934 Free! 14/. Dz' fl'man;

Patented Jan. 22, 1935 UNITED PATENT The invention relates to a key-ringassembly for key chains. 7

The object of the present invention isto provide'for key chainsahighlyornamental key ring ti assembly presenting the appearance of a lhiifiedbull whip witha lash closely coiled around the handle portion'ofthe'whip and fornii'rjig'acontin nation of thefloop so-that-thebiillwhip liey r ng assembly will have the appearance of f a" completebull *v'vhip with the "entire lash portion arranged e'xteriorly" of thehandle portionf iwithogtflany break or int'eriuption am theconfiguration" offfthe liiill-whipl- A further ob'jectf of theinvehtioniisf to, provide aikrrifig e fl b z of thi sham? ie hie? a loopof the ball whip'forming'a key receiving rinig and'coiiiposed oftwosidesgdne of the sides bein movable with respech'tcjitheotheraiid'having a terr'ninal 'engaigirig portion iorining a :DQ IiZlOHflf B;spiral convolution--and-eiiteriorly em]; ciing the other side or theloop adapted'tojgeireadily spriin'g into 'and oiitofengagementwiththejsame w'open the' loop to permit ke'ys to be 'placedon snwremoveat ernama I I kiiotherf ohject of the invention biil-l whipkey ringassembly-havinga fixedfclosely coiled la'sh' -portion extendingaroiind thehandle po'rtidii ot the whip-and"liavirig'oneterminal ar Aranged we g'reater'pitch thanfth closelyj coiled portionandterrii-inatin-g at the end of the en portion ofthe movable side'- of theldop when the"loopis closebl seas-t0apparently-merge intdthe saidengaging portion of the loop."

With thesefaiid other objects'inyiew, tire-in vemmn" consists in theconstruction "and' novel combination and arranger'nent of patts he'reinaster described, illustrated iii-the aceompan ing drawing; and set forthin" the i claims hereto ap pended, it being 'understood thatvariopschanges bly showing the other sidethereof;

Fig. '3 is an edge viewof the ky'rin'gasseinbly with the loop closedp' eFig-I 4 is a side elevation of the key ring as sem'bly-withth'eloop-open; r 'In the accompanying-drawing in which is illus tratedthe:preferred einbodimentllof= theinven= tion, 1 designates a key chainprovided atone end with a bull whip key ring assembly andhaving a ring'2 at its other end for attachment to a belt, garment or the like. Thering 2 is provided I witlra slidably telescoping sprin pressed section 3adapted. to be opened in theor dinary manner to permit the ring 2 to heengaged with and re-. movedfrom a belt, garmentor the like, but anyother suitable form of attaching means may, of conr beemployed, V V I rfl'hebull whip key ring assembly consists of a tapering bar {provided atone end with an eye or opening 5" into which is linked a ring 6 forconnecting the inner end of the bar to the key chain. The bar; whichrepresents a handle portionfoflthe hull whip and a p o rtion of thelashthereof is provided at its" outer portion with a map? composediof twosides and a curvedconrie'etmg portion, the side 8 of the loop lbeingmovable with respect to the other side which is formed' by the' bar 4.

"Ihe loopwhich is tapering forms a key receiving' -ring or' loop and themovable side 8 isarraageq at an angle tothe bar 4 and is provided withaterminal engaging portion 9 consistingiof aportion of a spiralconvolution and adapted to exterior-1y engage" and embrace the bar 4' toclose the lo'op'and it'is firmlymaintaine'dineng a'gen'lent with'thebar'4 by the resilien'cy df the' metal'of which the bull whip key ring-alssembly constructed, The key chain and the key ring assembly may beeonstri cited of precious or 1serni precio iis' metal or any othersnitablefmateria l, and when the loop is opened the resiliency of themetal carries the spirally engaging po rtion'- 9' from one face of thebar 4 to the "opposite face thereof and the engaging portionis adaptedto form a fguide for enabling keySftQbeQreadiIyj placed on the keyreceiving. loop ofthe key' ring" assembly. I

The barfiand the loopti ereof have a gradiial taper tosifnulatethe'taper of the bull whipjancl the handle portion of the bar 4 isprovided Witl'raffixedm'ember 1 0 closely spirally coiled around thehandleportion and arranged exteri oiflyithereof terminating at theengaging portioh yof the movable side'8 whenthe loop is closed and thefixed spiral member 19 is provided' adjacent the'-key' receiving loopwith a terminal portion -11 of greater pitch than-the closelyspirallycoiled-"portion and'coinciding in pitch with theengag'ing portion 9" ofthe m'ovable side 8' 'of the loop so 'that when'the-latteris closedtheengagingportion 19 will be in substa ti-all y abutting relation withthe terminal portion 11 of the fixed member and present the appearanceof a continuous lash. By compressing the sides of the loop the engagingportion 9 of the movable side may be readily sprung into and out ofengagement with the bar 4 and when in engagement with the bar it isfirmly held in contact therewith to close the loop securely.

What is claimed is:

1. A key ring assembly for key chains comprising a tapering barhaving'its smaller tapered portion formed into a loop composed of twosides and a curved outer connecting portion, one of the sides beingresilient and movable with respect to the bar and a portion of the barforming the other side of the loop and being less resilient than thesaid resilient and movable side of the loop, the movable and resilientside of the loop having a hooked terminal portion to detachably embracethe bar intermediate the ends of the latter when the loop is closed andadapted to be sprung out of engagement with the bar to open the loop,said terminal of the resilient movable side of the loop serving as aguide to enable keys to be readily placed on the key receiving loop whenthe loop is open.

2. A key ring assembly for key chainscomprising a gradually tapering barwhose end of larger diameter constitutes a handle portion and whose endof smaller diameter constitutes a key receiving loop possessing greaterresiliency than said handle portion, said key receiving loop beingcomposed of two sides and a curved outer connecting portion, one of thesides being ,movable with respect to the bar and a portion of the latterforming the other side of the loop, said movable Side of the loop beingarranged at an angle to the bar and being more resilient than the handleend of the bar and having a terminal hook to detachably clasp the bar ata portion of the latter which furnishes support for said terminalengaging portion against bending thereof and consequent accidentaldetachment there from when the loop is closed, said terminal engagingportion being adapted to be sprung out of engagement with the bar toopen the, loop.

3. A key ring assembly for key chains comprising a gradually taperingbar whose end of larger diameter constitutes a handle portion and whoseend of smaller diameter constitutes a key receiving loop possessinggreater resiliency than said handle portion, said key receiving loopbeing composed of two sides and a curved outer connecting portion, oneof the sides being movable with respect to the bar and a portion of thelatter forming the other side of the loop, said movable side of the loopbeing arranged at an angle to the bar and being more resilient than thehandle end of the bar and having a terminal clasping hook to detachablyclasp the bar at a portion of the latter which furnishes support forsaid terminal engaging portion against bending thereof and consequentaccidental detachment therefrom when the loop is closed, said terminalportion being removable from engagement with the bar to open the loopand when in open position forming a guide'for the passage of a keybetween the sides of the loop.

4. A looped retaining device comprising a gradually tapering bar havingits larger end constituting a handle portion and its smaller anddirected outwardly andthence inwardly toward the body of the bar to forma loop, said outwardly and inwardlydirected portion having a laterallydirected hookconstructed to detachably embrace the body of the barbetween the ends of the latter to close the loop and which when detachedfrom the bar provides a guide for the ready insertion of a key betweenthe outwardly and inwardly directed portion and the body of the bar intothe loop.

5. A looped retaining device comprising a tapering bar having an endthereof directed outwardly and thence inwardly toward the barintermediate the ends of the latter to form with ,the bar a resilientloop at one end of the device and to provide a handle portion at theother end of the device, .the outwardly and inwardly directed portion ofsaid loop having a hook-shaped terminal for detachably clasping relationwith thebar and'when detached from the bar cooperating with the lattertoform a guide adjacent the inner end of the handle portion of thedevice for the introduction of articles into the loop and permit theremoval of articles from the loop and when clasped with the barpreventing accidental displacement of the articles from the loop.

6, A looped-retaining device comprising a resilient tapering bar havingan end thereof directed outwardly and thence inwardly toward the barintermediate the ends of the latter to form with the bar a resilientloop at one end of the device andto provide a straight handle portion atthe other end of the device of less resiliency than the; resiliency ofthe looped portion thereof andbeing roughened and at its outer endprovided with an eye, the outwardly and inwardly directedportion; ofsaidloop having a hookshaped terminal engaging portion for detachableclasping relation'with the bar at the inner end of said handle portionand when'detached from the bar being directed outwardly from the latterto provide a guide between thehook-shaped terminal and the bar'for theinsertion of articles into the loop. 1

'7 A looped retaining device comprising a tapering resilient bar havinggreater resiliency at the smaller end thereof than at the larger end ofthe bar, said bar having the smaller end portion thereof directedoutwardly and inwardly toward the body of the bar to cooperate with aportion of the bar to provide a resilient clasped loop,-said outwardlyandinwardly directed portion of the loop having a terminal hookfordetachable clasping connection with the bar at the will of theoperator and which, owing to the greater resiliency of the outwardly andinwardly directed portion of the loop and the hook thereof clasping thebar at-a point of lesser resiliency to efiect a firm detachable claspingof the loop in closed condition against accidental unclasping relationwith said bar incident to strains due to weight of articles carried bythe loop and yet under compression action upon the sides of the loopadapted to be sprung from claspingrelation with the bar. 8; A keyringassembly for key chains comprisinga tapering bar whose end'of largerdiameter constitutes ahandle portion and whose end of smaller-diameterconstitutes a key receiving loop possessing greater resiliency than saidhandle portion, said key receiving loop being composed of twosides and acurved outer connecting portion, a portion of the bar constituting oneof the sides of saidloop and the other side of the loop being moreresilient than said portion of the bar and being movable with respect tothe barportion of the loop, said movable resilient side'of the'loopbeing arranged at an angle to the bar and having a terminal engagingportion consisting of a part of a spiral convolution and embracing thebar at the inner end of said handle portion when the loop is closed andadapted to be sprung out of engagement with the bar to open the loop andwhen the loop is open, said terminal being maintained relatively closeto the bar and directed laterally outwardly and upwardly with respect tothe handle portion of the device to provide for ready insertion of keysor the like into the loop or permit ready removal of the same from theloop, said terminal engaging portion spiralling outwardly with relationto the handle portion of the bar when the loopv is closed.

9. A looped retaining device comprising a bar having an end thereofdirected outwardly and thence inwardly toward the bar intermediate theends of the latter and having a hook to detachably embrace the bar toclose the loop to form with the bar an openable loop at one end of thedevice and to provide a straight handle portion at the other end of thedevice, and a coiled member encircling the handle portion of the deviceto roughen the handle portion and having the innermost convolutionthereof terminating in an abutment, said hook at its free end extendinginto abutting relation with said abutment when the hook is in embracingclasping relation with the bar.

10. A looped retaining device for keys or the like comprising a taperingbar having the smaller end thereof directed outwardly and'thenceinwardly toward the bar intermediate the ends of the latter to form astraight handle portion at one end of the device and to form a resilientloop at the other end of the device, the loop portion of the devicebeing of less resiliency than the resiliency of the handle portionthereof, a coiled member on the handle portion having its innermostconvolution of greater pitch than the remaining convolutions of saidmember and providing an abutment on the bar adjacent the inner end ofsaid loop, the inner end of the smaller portion of the bar at the loopedend of the device being formed into a curved hook for detachableclasping connection with the bar substantially intermediate the ends ofthe latter, said curved hook at its outer extremity being ofcross-sectional diameter substantially the same as the cross-sectionaldiameter of said innermost diiferent pitch convolution of said coiledmember and abutting the inner end of said innermost coil of said coiledmember when the hook clasps said bar to thereby permit said coiledmember to assume a continuation of the smaller end of the bar extendedas if wrapped around the handle portion of the device.

FRED W. DI'I'I'MAN.

